Next Big Sound (a/o June 18th):
Slowly but steadily, Kim Dotcom is clawing back. Just moments after getting a huge vote of confidence from Steve Wozniak, a New Zealand court has ruled the FBI's raid to be invalid and illegal. That tilts the momentum solidly towards MegaUpload and Dotcom, and raises more questions about a planned US extradition in August.
He's like the Amanda Palmer of comedy. After launching on a direct-to-fan ticketing adventure, Louis C.K. has quickly rustled $4.5 million from happy fans, with ticket prices hard-fixed at $45. And, it took less than two days to accomplish the feat.
There's more instability at Vivendi, which means more instability at UMG. In the latest tremor, CEO Jean-Bernard Levy has been pushed, based on continued disagreement over the sprawling media portfolio. The move comes alongside a threatened ratings downgrade, and continued downward pressure on Vivendi shares.
And the battle between Digital Music News and an increasingly-difficult Grooveshark continues. So far, it's been endless back-and-forth over picayune details related to preservation, which essentially refers to freezing data if a search and subpoena of our servers is ultimately authorized. The warzone is now entering its seventh month; yet another court deliberation happens today.
Apple rumors, take them with a grain of salt. But this sounds plausible: apparently a massive iTunes overhaul is on the way, with a hand-in-glove iCloud integration in mind. Which fits neatly into the broader, cloud-focused expansion currently happening at Apple.
On the topic of rumors, the possibility of a Live Nation buyout is also getting tossed around. Investment bankers Maxim Group are watching increased purchases of LYV by Liberty Media, and a fresh arsenal of cash at the potential acquirer.
Adele's 21 remains a chart-topper, though weekly sales dipped south of 50,000 in the US this week. That's down from roughly 63,000 the previous week, perhaps apt timing for a just-announced Spotify activation.
And all the legacy skeletons are now coming out of the closet on this one. In downtown LA this week, California judge Philip Gutierrez blasted Universal Music Group for attemting to 'dupe' and 'bamboozle' the court about international royalties. The aggressive-and-successful plaintiff, FBT Productions, has now expanded its original complaint related to digital royalties to include craftily-squirreled international proceeds.
don't be naive, bloggers Saturday, June 30, 2012
The FBI never makes a move if they don't know they will win the case. Just check their rates. They don't like to lose cases, so they pick and choose.
just returning the "favor" Sunday, July 01, 2012
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